Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This is my absolute favorite recipe for homemade tomato basil pesto. One that took me quite some time to get absolutely perfect. But hey, it’s little successes like this one that make the whole process so worth it.

It’s classic basil pesto ingredients like, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil, and of course, basil, along with a cup full of sun-dried tomatoes. And it’s a million times better than anything you’ll get from a jar.

Not only is this recipe simple, it’s also quick to make. You’ll need a food processor so you can get all the ingredients to blend seamlessly. A little bit of everything in each bite. For a twist on the classic, I add a pinch of red pepper flakes to add a little more dimension to the already outstanding flavor. If you’re not a fan of the heat, feel free to hold off on it.

Tomato pesto is the perfect sauce for a variety of uses. It’s cheesy, garlicky, and nutty goodness just can’t be beat.

Here’s just a few serving suggestions:

A small spoonful is perfect to flavor freshly cooked pasta.

A little bit would make boring old grilled chicken, so much tastier!

It’s also amazing smeared on french bread with a generous sprinkling of mozzarella or provolone on top. And just baked until the cheese is so bubbly and perfect that it makes your heart skip a beat. it’s like pizza but so much more sophisticated. YUM!

On this panini sandwich in between layers of melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves.

Ever heard of sun-dried tomato basil hummus? AMAZING. Here’s a basic hummus recipe, add as much or as little of the pesto as you’d like.

And last but certainly anything but the least, it’s the secret ingredient in my homemade minestrone soup recipe.

I listen, I promise!

I’ve had sooo many emails, Facebook messages, and comments from you guys asking how in the heck do I make the tomato pesto mentioned in my minestrone soup recipe? And each and every one of those emails and messages were shamefully answered saying I didn’t make it, it was store bought. But guess what! I don’t have to say that anymore *happy dance*

I’ve tested, retested, and just for good measure, tested it again and this homemade tomato pesto is simply perfection, albeit, I admit, it didn’t start off that way. Okay. I’ll stop sugar coating it. It was BAD. I completely forgot to add the garlic and I kept scratching my head because I couldn’t figure out why after three cloves of garlic it still didn’t have any garlicky pungency to it. My next run, I added 5 to be on the safe side and i’m pretty sure even after brushing my teeth a handful of times, the hubby didn’t want to be within two feet of me.Pouty-face. Oh, but the third time is the charm! Three cloves of garlic did the trick. You can say I have Goldilocks complex when it comes to my pesto, any yeah, it’s kinda true.

Instead of dishing out $6 on a jar of the store-bought stuff, I give you my easy tomato pesto recipe that takes just a couple of minutes to whip up and it won’t cost you anywhere near what the store-bough stuff does. Did I mention you get twice as much pesto that tastes 1000 times better.

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor except the olive oil. Start the food processor and drizzle in the olive oil slowly while still mixing. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and adjust salt nad pepper to liking.

[b]STORING: [/b] leftover pesto can be stored in a jar that has a tight fitting lid. Pesto can be refrigerated for up to one week. You can also place pesto into ice cube molds and frozen for up to 2 months.

32 comments on “Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto”

I see all these posts are a couple of years old but I will add my comment anyway! I’ve always made basil pesto for years with the basil I grow, it freezes so well (I freeze in ice cube trays then transfer the cubes to baggies) and I enjoy all winter. I thought I’d try the sundried tomato one as well for something different and chose this recipe off Pinterest. I have to say this tastes FANTASTIC!! I can’t wait to use it in a soup as well. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, I’m sure I will make it again & again. (I’ve made a double batch now and plan to make another one tomorrow lol!!)

Just wondering if you used the dry, sort of hard sun-dried tomatoes in the jar or the nice, plump, soft ones from the refrigerated case in the
deli. Wanting to make this for dinner tomorrow so hopefully you are able to answer quickly. I’m in Australia so my tomorrow is your tonight so guessing you are probably sleeping at the moment and fully understand there may be a delay with your answer 🙂

My hubby and teenaged boys LOVED this! We used it in your creamy sundried tomato pesto chicken recipe and it was fantastic. I will NEVER use pesto from a jar again. Why would you?!! I am now on your email list. Your recipes are so flavorful. Can’t wait to try more more more!!! Off to try your basil pesto right now…

My fiancé casually mentioned last night that, if the 30-minute mozzarella chicken in tomato sauce were to be dinner tonight when she got home from work, she might marry me (!). Being no dummy, nor trusting Fate, I went to the farmers market first thing this afternoon. Just made this pesto per your recommendation, and Oh My! This is fantastic! It may very well become my go-to from now on! Thank you for the recommendation.

Just made the pesto, and it tastes delicious. I had to add more olive oil than in your recipe, did you use sundried tomatoes in oil or just dried? wondering if maybe that was the difference in the amount of oil I had to use? I am making your ONE SKILLET CHICKEN WITH TOMATO BASIL CREAM SAUCE tonight using the pesto, I am sure it is going to be amazing if it tastes like this pesto.

Have you every made your own “sundried” tomatoes in the oven? OMG they are delicious and would probably be amazing in this pesto. Cut some roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place cut side up on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and add some Italian spices as desired. Bake at 300F for 3 hours. You will love them!

Thanks, Evangeline! I would substitute cashews for the pine nuts if thats possible. It needs some kind of creamy/nuttiness to give it that flavor so I don’t suggest leaving out the nut aspect completely.

I happened to purchase these at Trader Joe’s but they’re available in most grocery stores right next to the ones that come packed in olive oil. In fact, you could use those too. Just measure out the oil and tomatoes separately as listed in the recipe.